Proud is about to make its way to audiences around the world, and if you’re looking for your next LGBTQ television obsession, this Polish drama may be exactly what you’re searching for.
Streaming services have increasingly embraced international storytelling, proving that great television does not need to speak your language to break your heart. HBO Max’s latest acquisition comes with plenty of emotional baggage, complicated family dynamics, and a queer protagonist whose life is about to be turned upside down.
Premiering on HBO Max on June 12, Proud arrives fresh off a major victory at the 2026 edition of the Séries Mania, where it took home the prestigious Grand Prix award. Star Ignacy Liss also received the festival’s Best Actor prize, giving the series even more momentum ahead of its streaming debut.
RELATED: Feeling ‘Proud’ Yet? HBO Max Bets Big on a Queer Polish Story
Meet Filip
At the center of the eight-episode drama is Filip, played by Liss, a young model living life exactly the way he wants.
Filip is confident, carefree, and focused on enjoying the moment. Responsibility is something that can always wait until tomorrow.
Then tragedy strikes.
Following a devastating family loss, Filip suddenly becomes responsible for his infant niece. Overnight, his world shifts from parties and personal freedom to diapers, sleepless nights, and life-altering decisions.
What initially appears to be a fish-out-of-water story quickly becomes something much deeper.
As Filip struggles with his new reality, the series explores his own childhood wounds, personal insecurities, and fears about whether he is capable of caring for someone else. His reluctance to place his niece in the hands of strangers becomes tied to painful experiences from his past, forcing him to confront emotions he has spent years avoiding.
More Than a Coming-of-Age Story
While Proud contains plenty of family drama, it is also a story about identity and belonging.
Creator and director Karol Klementewicz, who co-wrote the series with Monika Pęcikiewicz, has explained that the goal was not to create controversy but to present queer characters as fully realized human beings.
That approach feels especially meaningful given the social and political realities facing LGBTQ people in Poland today.
The country still does not recognize same-sex marriage domestically, making queer stories like Proud particularly relevant. Rather than focusing solely on political debates, however, the series examines how culture, family expectations, and personal history shape the lives of queer people.
The result is a story that feels both distinctly Polish and universally relatable.
An Award-Winning Cast
Alongside Liss, the series features an impressive ensemble cast that includes Maria Sobocińska, Kamil Studnicki, Maja Ostaszewska, Joanna Kulig, and Mateusz Więcławek.
Together, they help bring to life a story that balances heartbreak, humor, family bonds, and self-discovery.
Trailer oficial de ‘Orgulho’, aclamada série queer polonesa que estreia em 12 de junho na HBO Max.
A trama acompanha Filip, um jovem impulsivo e imprudente cuja vida fica de cabeça para baixo após uma tragédia familiar.pic.twitter.com/KeFmD8gTAU
— CINEMA 505 (@CINEMA505) June 4, 2026
Get Ready to Be Proud
The best queer stories are often the ones that remind us how different lives can still share the same emotions. Proud may be set in Poland, but its themes of family, love, responsibility, and acceptance will resonate far beyond its borders.
With critical acclaim already behind it, a major festival win, and a compelling central performance from Ignacy Liss, Proud looks poised to become one of the year’s most talked-about international LGBTQ dramas.
The eight-episode series begins streaming on HBO Max on June 12, with new episodes arriving weekly through the July 31 finale. For viewers looking for something heartfelt, emotional, and refreshingly human, Proud might just live up to its name.